


One and the Same

by forsimplicityssake



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Bromance to Romance, M/M, ofc the firehouse is betting on everything too fyi, still my fave tag, there's a pinch of angst but it passes, this is just pure unadulterated fluff, you guys i love the firefam so much
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-10
Updated: 2019-11-10
Packaged: 2021-01-26 08:00:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21370807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forsimplicityssake/pseuds/forsimplicityssake
Summary: Eddie and Buck are going through the normal flow of their day, taking calls and saving lives. Things are settling back down to how they used to be, but damn, why is the crew being so weird around them? If Eddie isn't mistaken, this is the third time Hen has given him TheLook™ and he feels like he should be more aware of what's going on.Or, the one time Eddie and Buck accidentally switch gear and everyone is confused about their relationship status.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz
Comments: 42
Kudos: 885





	One and the Same

**Author's Note:**

> From a prompt in my discord group: Ok, but can you imagine Eddie and Buck accidentally switching their firefighter jackets and people just giving them looks the whole day?

To say it has been a long ass day is a complete understatement and as Eddie grabs his gear from the side of the truck, he sighs heavily. He really just wants to go home, take a hot shower, and crawl under a big comforter with Christopher so they can temporarily put themselves in a coma. What bliss…

A warm, solid hand on his shoulder takes him by surprise and he whips around to catch Buck eyeing him with concern.

“All good?” he asks.

Eddie takes a deep breath and cracks a gentle smile before nodding. “All good.”

Buck flashes back one of his own trademark grins as he releases his hold on Eddie, fingers slipping away slowly, before shrugging on his heavy jacket and buttoning it up. Eddie follows suit as he pulls on the rest of his own turnout gear and the two take off behind Cap. They’re responding to a building fire with multiple floors and one person confirmed missing. 

Eddie’s mind is on autopilot at this point. He quickly works through all the points of his training as he considers the best first move. There. He’s got it. Eddie and Buck exchange a glance and without words, they know exactly what the other is thinking.

They take off through the front entryway and up several flights of stairs, working together to find a young intern who has gotten himself turned around trying to escape the flames.

Heat is licking alongside the walls and smoke clings to the ceiling. 

“LAFD, call out!” Eddie yells over the sea of cubicles, his eyes trying to take everything in through the facemask and fumes. He can see Buck just out of his peripheral and the other man is methodically searching through each office space, crouching low to see if their missing intern has hidden himself. Eddie continues forward, eyes scanning distantly before he spots a pair of hands holding onto a cubicle wall.

Eddie pivot backs and calls, “Buck! Over here!”

With the sound of the fire eating through walls and office materials it’s deafening, but Eddie knows Buck can pick his voice out in a crowd of thousands. Just the tiniest of head bobs is all the indication Buck gives, acknowledging he’s heard the direction, and together they make their way past one, two, three rows of cubicles before they get to the kid. He’s young, probably in his late teens.

“Derek?” Buck asks as he kneels.

The boy nods and opens his mouth to reply before he’s wracked by a series of violent coughs.

“Don’t speak,” Eddie advises gently from beside Buck. He places his hands under the Derek’s arms and hoists him up, easing the boy’s weight over his shoulder and then he and Buck are sprinting out of the offices, flames quick on their heels. Over the roar of the inferno, Eddie can hear Cap yelling at them, telling them to hurry their asses up because it looks like the floors could give way at any moment.

Eddie and Buck are flying down the stairs, Buck in front in case Eddie happens to lose his balance. It feels like the world is falling down around them, the heavy, constricting air of the stairwell becoming claustrophobic. They run as fast as their legs will carry them down to the bottom floor. As Buck slams his body into the door, Eddie takes one last involuntary pull of air, debris cascading over them. For a brief moment they’re enveloped in darkness as the walls of the building begin to rain down around them. Then there’s a blinding light and Eddie knows they’ve made it outside. 

He carries Derek a few more steps before one of his knees gives out and he’s dropping to the ground. Before he’s fully down, Buck is at his side as he always is, and together they lay Derek onto the waiting bodyboard. Hen and Chimney quickly move in, Hen holding an oxygen mask as she places it over Derek’s mouth and nose. Chim’s hands are moving briskly along Derek’s arms and chest and within seconds, Derek is taking a deep, shuddering breath. Hen breathes a sigh of relief and then she and Chim continue their work.

Eddie is leaning back on his haunches watching the scene. As he takes his helmet and mask off, he peers up at Buck. They share a knowing smile before Buck is laughing, the sound deep and joyful. Eddie joins him, expression open and easy.

Eddie isn’t sure about Buck, but Eddie personally loves the moment right after they dash out of some dangerous situation. He loves the exhilaration. He loves knowing that they’ve made it out alive, together. Buck holds out a hand and pulls Eddie up. They stand next to each other, shoulders bumping into one another and Eddie smiles. There is no one Eddie would rather have with him than the man by his side right now.

Eddie is just about to say those exact words, but then Cap is walking briskly over to them.

“New call, guys,” he says and then they’re off, hauling themselves back in the truck. Fire crews from the 122 and 137 will finish the clean up.

Hen and Chimney have Derek loaded up in the ambulance and as they pull away to head to the hospital, Hen shouts out the window that they’ll meet up at the next incident location. Cap nods and the truck is rolling out of the lot.

The team is given a brief respite of approximately fifteen minutes before they make it to their next call. Eddie takes a large swig of water and hands the bottle over to Buck. The other man happily accepts it and, body still thrumming with the afterglow of the call, accidentally swallows an excessive amount, sputtering as some of the water is inhaled into his trachea. 

“Easy, champ,” Eddie laughs as he claps a hand against Buck’s back. “We can’t have you going down in the middle of this, too.”

Buck blushes prettily, but takes it in stride, smiling over to Eddie.

“You’d be so lost without me.”

It’s Eddie’s turn to blush and he ducks his head momentarily before replying, “Right you are.”

Bobby leans over in his seat so he can get a look at his boys. By the way that they’re staring at each other, Bobby thinks with a rueful chuckle, he’s pretty sure Hen’s going to win the bet after all.

It isn’t much later that the 118 is driving up to a traffic accident with injuries. Eddie hops out of the truck, still enveloped in his turnout gear. Briefly looking over to Buck, he nods and they’re dividing their skills between two cars. From the overall look, it appears to be another case of a distracted teen driver versus an elderly couple. 

Buck makes his way to the older, damaged sedan and speaks gently with a Miriam and Terrence Holloway, his tones soft and coaxing as he works to dislodge the seat belt that’s trapped Terrence in place. Miriam is already fussing, her hands stroking her husband’s face and Terrence is shooing her away with sweetly failed attempts. Buck watches them with a warm heart. He’s quickly reminded of Mitchell and Thomas, another adorable couple that Buck had admired, and a cool ice seeps into his veins. He thinks of Mitchell’s last words, making love out what you can. As he looks over his shoulder to where Eddie is attempting to console a distraught teenaged girl—and doing a pretty terrible job at it, it seems—the chill is gone, eased away by a wave of affection. Eddie might like to play the role of tough guy now and again, Buck muses, but he’s really just a squishy softie at heart. Buck finds himself involuntarily smiling.

He's yanked from his thoughts as Terrence places a withered hand on Buck’s forearm and asks with a kind smile if he can get out of the car now. 

Buck clears his throat and replies that yes he can, but please wait until he has the cervical collar properly secured around Terrence’s neck first.

Meanwhile, Eddie is trying really hard to get his young patient under control as she sobs, scratched up hands hiding her face.

“Hey, hey,” he says encouragingly to her, “it’s okay. Look, they’re okay.” Eddie is speaking low and easy, very familiar with the different ways shock can affect a person’s mental and emotional state. 

She hiccups through heavy tears and peers between her fingers. She and Eddie both look over to see Buck slipping a cervical collar around an eldery man’s neck before he helps to pull him out. His wife, Eddie would guess, has already exited the damaged vehicle, flitting to the man’s side as she worriedly runs her hands over him. Eddie chuckles both at the endearing picture it makes and at Buck, his expressive eyes wide as he attempts to shield the man from any possible secondary injuries brought on by his wife’s attention.

Eddie catches the sound of a siren and he sees Hen and Chimney. As Hen is sliding out of the ambulance, she gives Eddie a quizzical glance, her eyes bouncing between him and Buck. Eddie’s brain is attempting to catch up, but Hen has already moved on to the elderly couple further away. Chim shrugs in Eddie’s direction, a smile playing at his lips, and then he and Eddie are helping the girl, Ashley, out of her vehicle and onto a stretcher. Her legs have been shoved rather forcefully into the steering column and Chimney wants to make sure they’re properly checked out before she’s walking again on her own.

After Ashley is wheeled into the back of the ambulance, Eddie turns around and spots Buck guiding the elderly man across the street towards a secondary ambulance from the 106. Eddie can hear Buck chuckling loudly as the man tries to tell Buck he doesn’t need medical attention and the man’s wife argues that he does. Eddie cracks a large grin. Buck’s face is flushed from both from the adrenaline of the call and from laughing at the couple’s antics. His eyes are practically sparkling and Eddie has to physically stop himself from walking over. Eddie can’t deny that there’s always been a magnetic pull between the two of them and as he watches Buck from a distance, Eddie swears he’s never felt a stronger need to be close to him. He pauses in his actions and contentedly stands in place, happy to see Buck coming back to himself after he everything he’s gone through this past year. 

Bobby has already gotten out of the truck it seems, and comes to stand by Eddie.

It’s almost as if his captain has read his mind as Bobby nudges Eddie’s shoulder and offhandedly mentions, “He’s looking good, huh?”

Eddie nods and hums. Buck is looking good. _ Really _good.

Eddie doesn’t catch Bobby’s knowing gaze as he takes in Eddie’s full appearance, eyes pausing momentarily on his uniform. Bobby just chuckles and shoots a sly glance towards Chimney.

Buck has handed off the elderly couple to a second set of paramedics and is striding back over to his own team. He looks like he’s ready to burst and Eddie grins at him. Just before he can ask Buck what’s up, Buck shouts out, “Aren’t they the cutest?!”

Eddie is laughing freely, his heart clenching in the most pleasant way. “Oh my gosh!” Buck is still talking, the words rushing from his mouth in excitable gasps. “I want to be that deeply in love with someone when I’m their age. Eddie, did you see them? Weren’t they adorable? Oh geez, she loves him so much…” Buck’s voice is trailing off as he brushes past Eddie, his hand reaching out subconsciously to grasp at Eddie’s arm before he’s moving on, pulling himself back into the truck. Eddie is left speechless, his heart pounding in his ears. He’s frozen in place, replaying Buck’s words over and over before the loud, terrifying blare of an engine horn at close proximity nearly deafens him. Eddie jumps and spins around to see Bobby raising a brow at him before gesturing to the truck. When Eddie jumps up into it, Buck is a mess of breathless giggles. He attempts to look at Eddie and say something, but just the mere meeting of their eyes has Buck spinning back out of control.

Eddie huffs indignantly, but sits down all the same. He’s busy staring at Buck from the corner of his eye and almost misses Bobby’s comment. “Glad you could join us.”

They continue through the rest of their calls without much excitement. A possible heart attack, a cyclist versus vehicle, a child stuck behind a washing machine… Just a typical afternoon in Los Angeles.

By the time they make it to their seventh call—a grilling party gone wrong in a public park—Eddie just really wants to sleep. He’s running on fumes and he can tell he’s exhausted because he can’t stop himself from staring at Buck. Usually Eddie can control himself around his best friend, but today, with a few near death calls and the general aura of joy that is radiating off Buck, Eddie keeps catching himself looking in Buck’s direction.

“No rest for the wicked,” he hears Buck say next to him, and just like that, Eddie’s hit with a second wind. God, this man.

They take off out of the truck again, eyes wide when they get a better look at the disaster. 

Apparently, Bobby fills them in, the father of the party decided that the best way to get a good char on his ribs was to pour an entire quart of lighter fluid on the grill.

“It’s heat,” he explains as they gather the rest of their gear, “not the amount of the fluid that gets you that good finish.”

Buck laughs and takes off to one corner of the park with a fire extinguisher. He puts out what used to be, Eddie thinks, a beautiful pergola. 

Eddie is tasked with checking on the family and guests, going over possible injuries.

Soon the 118 is joined again by the 106 and the 137, all three firehouses partnering up to cover as many people as possible. Eddie is matched with an older field training officer who is happy to let Eddie lead. Buck gets a young woman about his age and they’re laughing together like old friends as they see to their own group of patients. Eddie casts a sidelong glance in Buck’s direction for the upteempth time, both happy to see Buck enjoying himself and a bit jealous that he’s doing so with someone who clearly isn’t Eddie. Wait, jealous? No, that’s not right, Eddie corrects himself. Why would he be jealous that Buck was probably flirting with a cute medic while he was stuck with an older, tired firefighter. Eddie shakes his head and gets back to it. They continue to treat people for the next thirty minutes or so and eventually, Eddie is surrounded by people he doesn’t know, members of the 118 long since dispersed throughout the park. He can’t even hear Buck anymore.

He and his temporary partner are working together in tandem to treat a series of superficial wounds when the guy from the 106 leaves for a moment to grab additional gauze and tape. Eddie briefly watches him weave through a sea of medic shirts and turnout gear, quickly losing him in the crowd of similar uniforms. 

The young boy he’s seeing to hisses in pain as Eddie wraps his forearm and he looks down apologetically.

“I’m sorry, buddy.” The boy reminds Eddie of Christopher and he feels guilty. Just like Christopher though, he looks up and flashes a tight, yet confident smile assuring Eddie that he’s a big boy and can handle a little pain. Eddie chuckles and continues to wind the wrap around the boy’s arm.

“Diaz!” he hears through the general noise and he turns his head to the sound. It’s some other medic, a new face from the 137. Eddie stands up straighter and calls back, “Yeah?”

The guy gives Eddie a confused look and shakes his head. “No, not you,” he replies. _ What? _

Eddie’s about to shout back that yeah, he’s Diaz, when he catches the guy’s gaze stop and widen in recognition. He points past Eddie and says, “him” before he’s yelling again. “Diaz!” 

The medic then makes his way quite obviously past Eddie to another firefighter in the park. The figure is wearing gear identical to Eddie’s, probably identical eight other firefighters in close proximity: a jacket made of black fabric and golden stripes and thick cargo pants. Eddie squints his eyes as he tries to make out who this guy has mistaken for him when he catches the name at the bottom of the jacket.

There, in bold yellow letters, is the name ‘Diaz,’ plain as day. 

Excuse me, Eddie thinks, that’s _my _ name. What the hell?

He watches the medic from the 137 tap the imposter on the shoulder and as the figure turns around, Eddie’s breath hitches. He’d know those high cheekbones and iridescent eyes anywhere. It’s Buck. Eddie is even more confused now. 

Buck and the other guy exchange a few words and while they’re working out whatever it is the medic needs, Eddie is craning his neck to try and catch the name on his own coat. With a huff, Eddie strips out of it and holds it up.

‘Buckley’ it reads.

What... what is happening right now?

His face heats up and Eddie is blushing wildly. When did he and Buck exchange jackets? How long have they been wearing each other’s gear? Why the hell hasn’t anyone said anything?!

The medic from earlier is walking by Eddie, clearly having gotten whatever answer he needed, and as he passes Eddie, he gives him a salacious wink. Just like that, like it’s nothing at all. 

Eddie is sputtering, completely at a loss for words. Then, as if his body is forever aware of Buck’s, he turns automatically into Buck’s presence only to see his partner looking at him with a shiteating grin.

“Hey _ Buckley_,” he taunts. 

“Shut up,” Eddie mutters, his face red.

“Can you believe we switched gear? All day?” Buck is virtually shouting to everyone in a five mile radius and Eddie has half a mind to slap his hand over Buck’s mouth. He doesn’t, because that would lead to even more gossip, so he just shoves his shoulder into Buck’s hoping his friend gets the clue. 

Of course, Buck doesn’t as he continues to rattle on, and, as Bobby is telling them they’re done and it’s time to gather up everything so they can get back home, Eddie just wants to crawl into the crisp remains of the barbeque and hide forever.

The ride back to the firehouse is so awkward. Eddie doesn’t know why it feels awkward, but there’s this primal urge coursing through his body that tells him he’s turned on by the idea of Buck wearing his clothes, even if it’s just his coat. It reminds Eddie of that old tradition of giving your girlfriend your letterman jacket in high school and seeing her around in it, knowing that you claimed her. Does he want to claim Buck? Oh geez… Eddie roughly runs a hand over his face, his cheeks hot at the idea.

Eddie’s just grateful that Hen and Chimney are following behind in the ambulance instead of riding in the rig because if there’s one thing he knows for certain, it’s that those two never turn down an opportunity to embarrass him.

Finally—_ finally _—they get back to the firehouse and Eddie all but throws himself out of the truck the second it comes to a stop. Honestly, it might not even have come to a complete stop, but Eddie doesn’t care. He just has to put a bit of distance between Buck and himself while the image of Buck in nothing but his fireman’s jacket is still vibrantly tattooed behind his eyes.

Buck stays back at the truck, helping a few of the other members gather their things and check inventory. He doesn’t say anything about Eddie leaving so quickly, but he does catch Chimney and Hen share a laugh as they exit the ambulance. 

Buck almost feels hurt at the idea of Eddie being upset about the jackets. He thinks it’s kind of cute. He wants to tell Eddie that they never have to talk about it again if it makes him happy. He doesn’t get a chance to follow after Eddie though, because a familiar voice is echoing through the garage and he looks up to see Maddie approaching him. 

“Hey Mads,” he calls to her.

Maddie is giggling and as she flips her hair over a shoulder, she gives Buck a smoldering look and says, “Hey, Evan _ Diaz_.”

Buck drops the medic bag he’s holding with a loud thump as he appears to choke on his words. His cheeks are burning and... is he sweating? Why is he sweating? What's going on?

He tries to form a coherent thought, but before he can, Chimney is swooping in to give Maddie a sweet kiss and Buck, who extremely happy for his sister thank you very much, turns away in a mock gag. His brain is still trying to catch up to being called Evan Diaz. Why does it sound so good?

Buck is briefly reminded of a time back in junior high school, long before Maddie met Doug, when his sister used to scribble her name on different pieces of paper, but instead of their last name, she would include the name of some crush. At the time, Buck couldn’t figure out why the idea of having someone else’s last name always seemed to send Maddie into a blushing fit, but now, in the present moment, as he mouths the words ‘Evan Diaz,’ he thinks he just might get it. 

As he stands there still in a daze, he doesn’t quite register that Eddie has made his way over from the locker room until he can practically feel Eddie’s breath on his neck.

“Oh, h-hey there,” Buck sputters, spinning around. He isn’t sure why, but he can swear Eddie’s eyes darken. 

“Hey,” Eddie replies. He rubs a hand along his jaw and adverts his eyes, clearly upset or concerned about something. Buck is hoping desperately that Eddie hasn't heard his sister’s comment, but judging by the pink flush across Eddie’s face, maybe he has.

“So, Maddie made a funny joke—” 

“I heard.”

“Oh.” Buck tries miserably to keep the mood light, but he can tell Eddie isn’t feeling it.

“Look,” Buck begins, hands coming up in surrender, “she didn’t mean anything by it. You know how it is, siblings love giving each other shit…” Buck’s enthusiasm is dying along with his words as he sees Eddie’s eyes snap to his, an unreadable emotion reflecting in them.

“I, um…” Eddie mutters. “I don’t mind.”

Well, that’s unexpected. Buck’s jaw goes slack. He tilts his head taking in Eddie’s expression and unwillingness to meet his eyes.

“You… you don’t?” Is Eddie saying what Buck thinks he's saying? Buck takes a step closer to Eddie and reaches out to lay a hand on Eddie’s arm. Finally, giving Eddie’s bicep a gentle squeeze, he’s able to draw Eddie’s attention to him and Buck cracks an easy smile. Eddie’s brow furrows and he quietly replies, “No, I don’t.”

The pair stand as they are and then Eddie is drawing up a hand to rest it on Buck’s. They’ve always had a special bond, once they got over sizing each other up, and Eddie supposes it was only a matter of time before their friendship took its natural course. Eddie’s trying to play it cool; he doesn’t want to come off as overeager in case Buck changes his mind, but damn, he’s dying a little inside as he keeps repeating the name ‘Evan Diaz’ over and over again. He wants to open his mouth and say it outloud, speak it into reality, but he’s… he’s afraid. Buck is the closest Eddie has come to opening himself back up again after Shannon, to bringing someone into Christopher’s life, and he doesn’t want to screw it up by jumping the gun. Even if Eddie can have Buck as his best friend, a co-parent for Christopher, that is enough. 

Buck’s smile grows wider and his cheeks pinken prettily. He hums low in his throat and Eddie thinks it sounds like approval. Then Buck is chuckling and inching even closer to Eddie and Eddie’s a little panicked.

Suddenly, Buck’s lips are next to Eddie’s mouth, just on the corner of his lips, and Buck is kissing Eddie in the most delicate way; warm and soft balanced by the slight edge of an unshaven cheek. Eddie gasps. The sensation is fleeting and then Buck is pulling back, his entire face and throat, even the tips of his ears, turning the cutest shade of red Eddie has ever seen.

“I think we should probably start with a date first though, don’t you think?” Buck chirps. 

Eddie doesn’t know what to say, how to hold his body, what to do with his hands. He just knows that his entire being is vibrating with happiness. Before he can do something silly, he slides his hands in his pockets and grins. “That sounds perfect.” They continue to stare at each other, both unsure of what to do next. The silence is comfortable.

Then, Hen is whooping wildly from the balcony and the other members of the 118 are groaning.

“You boys just bought Karen and I dinner!” she hollers, her smile so wide it can probably be seen across the street.

Eddie and Buck’s heads snap up and they can see Chimney, Mark, Theresa, and Bobby all reaching for their wallets. Only Maddie, who is standing proudly beside Chimney, is still, her hand out as she accepts a few bills on her own behalf. Her take is nowhere near as large as Hen’s, but Maddie is smiling happily. Seeing Buck’s confused expression she calls out, “I missed it by a day, but I wasn’t too far off!”

Eddie and Buck gape at their teammates, look to each other, and burst into incredulous laughter. Now, Eddie thinks as tension is spilling from his bones, he really is ready for a nap. This time around, however, he can picture someone else alongside him and Christopher underneath that big, fluffy comforter and he’s immensely thankful for that.

**Author's Note:**

> A big thank you for the amazing feedback and love regarding my last story. This one is stylistically different, but I hope you enjoy it! Unbeta'd and all errors are mine.
> 
> Discord group can be found here: https://discord.gg/5TXNbed


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